This invention relates to apparatus for stripping the tabs from a shingle that is affixed as by nailing to a roof or wall sheeting.
Typically, when an asphalt shingle roof is to be replaced, the extended tabs on the existing shingles are stripped from the underbody section of each shingle and the new roofing laid over the remaining underbody sections. If the stripping operation can be carried out in a neat and orderly fashion, the underbody sections will form an extremely good substrate upon which to lay a new roof.
In practice, however, stripping tabs from the shingles have proven to be an extremely arduous, difficult and time consuming task. The workmen performing the stripping operation usually will use an ax or some other type of sharp cutting implement to separate the tabs from the underbody of the shingles. As a consequence, the parting line produced by the hand operation is generally uneven, rough and extremely jagged. When the new roofing is laid over this subsurface, it will have an unsightly appearance. More importantly, the rough subsurface can adversely affect the tightness of the new roofing and particularly its ability to resist weather and high winds.
It should also be noted that the use of axes and other sharp implements upon the roof can also cause damage to the underlying sheeting thereby weakening the roof structure and further roughening the substructure.